I will NEVER understand people!!

trippy · #1 (**permalink**) 08-01-2005, 04:06 PM

yesterday i went to a petco near me to get another dog leash and i overheard a man asking one of the employees if he could keep a ball python in the same tank as a brazillian rainbow boa. luckly, the guy said "i dont think that would work out too good" but i guess thats not what the man wanted to hear so he went to the "reptile specialist" and he told him that it should be fine, just to watch their behavior for a few days and left it at that.

well i had to say something to this man, afterall he just got the worst advise i have ever heard! i politely introduced myself and asked him if i could give him some advise regarding what i had just heard, he seemed open to what i had to say until i told him NOT to keep these two animals together. of course the first thing he asked was why and i told him,
1. one is a boa and the other is a python and two snakes should NEVER be in the same tank, EVER.
2. they are from two different sides of the world
3. the temp and humidity that they both need cannot be held in the same tank without doing damage to one or the other
4. just the stress would probaly kill them
5. have you ever heard of a quarantine period?

the list goes on and on, and then i suggested that he put the brb in a sweater box with a heat pad and a moist substrate to keep the humidity up, (he had no idea that the snake even needed humidity) and after all my efforts, he said "i just got this huge glass tank! im not gonna keep my snakes in plastic boxes, theyre gonna be on display. im sure theyll be fine" before he left i mentioned this site, hoping he'll go on before he makes such a mistake, but who knows.

it just seemed to me that he already had this dumb idea in his head and he is too stubborn to think about what the animals need vs. what he thinks will look good in his living room. it was very aggrivating not because i was trying to inform someone that what they have planned is not such a good idea, but what i had to say was totally disregarded. id be lying if i said i didnt want to smack him and the "reptile specialist", but i tried to help someone and hopefully some of what i told him got through that thick head of his and both these snakes will have a chance.

ok, i feel a little bit better now that ive vented, but im still worried about this guys "display"

Adrya · #2 (**permalink**) 08-01-2005, 04:14 PM

I really hate hard-headed people. I hope to get a job once the new Petco in town opens soon. Those people are gonna learn to WORSHIP me and WHAT I KNOW about snakes and other reptiles and animals.

Cause they have a big sign hanging on the front of the store that says, "Petco coming soon! Now hiring animal lovers!" yeah, animal lovers, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the people they will hire KNOW ANYTHING about animals.

But that's just me.

Dbutton · #3 (**permalink**) 08-01-2005, 04:40 PM

Oh the young and outraged!
Believe me, you will have to learn to walk away from people like that sometimes. The only way that they will learn anything from you is if they come to you first with a question. There are just to many people out there that have snakes and really don't know squat about what they need, or sometimes even what species they have, and really don't care too much as long as they look cool. I used to get crazed about stuff like that when I was young, but now I just walk away with my fists clenched so that I don't hit anyone and keep my mouth shut because they are going to dig their heels in even more if you try to tell them that they are doing something wrong.
You did the right thing by telling him about this site though. If he comes and looks around he may get some ideas about proper care and may even put some into use.
And those reptile experts are something to watch out for too. They are usually young and have had a boa or ball python for 2 years and know EVERYTHING there is to know about snakes. Just ask them, they will tell you. But because they work at a pet store they are going to get a following of idiots that come to the store. It is just the way it is.

David

Adrya · #4 (**permalink**) 08-01-2005, 04:51 PM

I'm not enraged, just urked about the way some people can be. And I'm not saying that I know everything about reptiles, I still have lots to learn, but I do know a lot as far as snakes go and turtles and some lizards, but I have been keeping reptiles since I was 8 years old. But at least I would know enough of the basic things about most snakes and turtles to tell people right from wrong before they buy on impulse or whatever.

But yeah I know you're talkin' about other people who have had a snake for one or two years and think they know EVERYTHING. I've kept snakes for the past 3 1/2 years, but I'm not sayin' that I know everything, but I've learned a lot about all kinds of snakes in that amount of time, but not from trial and error.

Dbutton · #5 (**permalink**) 08-01-2005, 05:09 PM

I wasn't speaking about you Snakewoman. At least you are here trying to learn more about them and aknowledge that you are still learning. Heck, after 30 years of keeping snakes I am still learning too. And I hope I never stop learning. It is what gets me up in the morning. If I don't learn something new, and not necessarily about reptiles, every day I feel like I didn't accomplish anything.

David

Adrya · #6 (**permalink**) 08-01-2005, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dbutton

I wasn't speaking about you Snakewoman. At least you are here trying to learn more about them and aknowledge that you are still learning. Heck, after 30 years of keeping snakes I am still learning too. And I hope I never stop learning. It is what gets me up in the morning. If I don't learn something new, and not necessarily about reptiles, every day I feel like I didn't accomplish anything.

I know you weren't speaking about me, but I just figured I'd say something to clarify myself I guess.

StevenLeeAugust · #7 (**permalink**) 08-02-2005, 07:25 PM

trippy
You tried. Whish is all you can really do.

I think there is a psychology for giving advice. The perception is if you’re wearing a smock, name badge or official company shirt the purchaser sees you as an authority. Someone qualified to speak on the subject. If you’re just another shopper you offer simply opinion. Not as important as the alleged expert who works there.

My wife and I get away with it from time to time if the people we are trying to help have seen us on TV but usually I am just some hippy shooting off his mouth trying to look important. You also described an example that education alone is not what is needed but also commitment from the buyer.

Thanks for at least trying.

trippy · #8 (**permalink**) 08-03-2005, 03:03 PM

i did what i could do. i know i prob didnt help the situation, but at least i tried. ill have to learn to keep my mouth shut, but its hard when you hear someone asking a question and they get such wrong info.

i really think that before pet shops hire someone to work in a specific department, they should at least take some kinda test proving that they at least know something about the animals before making them a specialist or whatever titles they have. it will prob never happen, but its a nice thought, IMO.

Dbutton · #9 (**permalink**) 08-03-2005, 07:00 PM

They do take a test at the large chain pet stores. The manager takes them over to the reptile section and points at a tank and says "What's this", and the perspective employee says "It's a snake". And then he points to another tank and the employee says "It's a lizard", and so on.... And then they realize that they have an expert on their hands and cut him/her loose to answer all the questions about reptiles that the patrons have.

David

trippy · #10 (**permalink**) 08-03-2005, 07:23 PM

i bet it must really impress the mangers when they read the sign above the tank telling them what it is lol.

that's not exactly the kind of test i had in mind, but then again, pet stores are not that known for their great ideas. being unemployed at the moment makes me want to foolishly go work there, or someplace like it, to try and help the situation, but i have a feeling that after a month of crappy paychecks and not making a dent in anything, ill just end up even more broke and in a really bad mood.

hisba · #11 (**permalink**) 08-03-2005, 07:57 PM

I have been looking for a second job for a short while off and on, I applied at a local petco (this was a while ago) where they have a pretty decent fish and reptile section. The only test I had to take was a 10+ page personality quiz that asks you things like "have you ever sold drugs" "do you think it is ok to steal" nothing at all about reptiles. I did speak with a manager and basically I was told I would not get the job because I was "overqualified", gee, so doesn't that mean I would do a good job? I did just want a part time minimum wage job!

As far as trying to help educate people, I applaud it! I do find tho that a lot of people will view you as a 'know it all' when all you are trying to do is help. Plus as was already stated, the employee uniform goes a long way, people think they must know the correct answers. The only people I ever actually educated were the people that would show up at the reptile and nature shows, they already had an open mind to learn along with the fact, being a presenter, you get that same automatic "they must know the correct answers" frame of mind to start out with.

1redtail · #12 (**permalink**) 08-03-2005, 08:08 PM

I made the mistake of walking into a big chain pet store and asked if they had any frozen feeders for my boa. Well long story short I was called inhumane. So I said to myself fine it’s all good. Came back the next week with my 5 foot dum and started walking around the rats asking my snake which one he would like to eat today. Needless to say I got my self kicked out of that store. But it just goes to show how ignorant people can be.

hisba · #13 (**permalink**) 08-03-2005, 11:27 PM

I was suprised the Petco by me actually carries frozen rodents. All the ones I went to in CA gave the same spiel about how it's not humane and they would not sell me live rats if they knew they were for feeding the snake, even tho they sold snakes.

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